The ideal situation is to sell more. If that were the case, then the hidden costs can be divided up between more units. Unfortunatly the manufacturers are floundering when it comes to finding new customers and so prices remain high.

This is not helped by online sellers who are happy to operate at under 5%. On the surface it appears good for the consumer but the reality is very different.

Retail showrooms are neaded for new customers to see and hear an instrument of high value. No one is going to shell out a few $1000 for something they have not seen or heard. However retailers have realised they cannot compete with online sellers and so there is no incentive to stock those product lines.

This means there will be no new customers..only returning ones who are quite frankly..moving to a better place!

Less sales mean higher prices and possibility of ceasing production altogether.

What can we do to help? Avoid on line discount merchants and support your local retailers. If Yamaha were to stop TOTL arrangers it would be a MAJOR disaster for the whole industry. There are only three main players now and I am very certain the industry cannot support another manufacturer dropping out of the game..and arrangers would go the way of Electronic Organs.